ys/course
ys/course
News of
Dysautonomia, Published by the Dysautonomia Foundation, Inc., 633 Third Ave., 12th
Floor, New York, NY 10017
Fall
/ Winter 2000 Issue
Dysautonomia not without friends
By Chris Allen
The South Florida Chapter of the Dysautonomia Foundation is gearing up for the new season. New officers for the two-year term from June 2000 to May 2002 include President Hortense Feldman, First Vice President Doris Eisner, Second Vice President Beth Grossman, Membership Vice President Shirley Rubenstein, Treasurer Belle Kargauer, Recording Secretary Sherry Harawitz and Corresponding Secretary Estelle Rosenzweig.
The chapter is 21 years old and boasts a membership of 300 people from Broward and Miami-Dade counties. It is the only chapter in Florida and meets in the Sunrise Lakes area.
"There is no cure for dysautonomia," said Feldman. "Doctors can only treat symptoms. That's how the foundation helps. We raise funds for research to find a cure for this dreadful disease."
New members are always welcome to any of the meetings or activities. Nonmembers, friends and relatives are also welcome at the events hosted by the foundation. For information on membership or the next activity sponsored by the group, call 954-572-0783.
NEW OFFICERS: Chapter President Hortense Feldman, left,
celebrates with her new first vice president, Doris Eisner.
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Editor’s Note: "Our funds were enriched also by close to $3,000 when it was requested by a family in the New York area that guests to a seventh-decade birthday celebration make contributions to the Foundation in lieu of personal gifts. (If you have fund-raising suggestions, let us know."
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Upcoming News:
One of the most distinctive clinical features of FD is absence of overflow tears with emotional crying.
On November 16-18, 2000, the Third International Conference on the Lacrimal Gland, Tear Film and Dry Eye Syndromes: Basic Science and Clinical Relevance will be held at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui ( www.Maui-2000.com ). This is an effort to promote an international exchange of information that will be of value to basic scientists involved in eye research, to physicians in the ophthalmological community and pharmaceutical companies with an interest in the treatment of lacrimal gland, tear film or ocular surface disorders.
Every four years, those from around the world, prominent in the field of eye study attend this conference. The purpose is to assess critically, the current knowledge and ‘state of the art’ research on the structure, and function of tear film-producing tissues, tears and the ocular surface in both health and disease.
At the conclusion of the conference a book is published that will contain summaries of the Conference’s keynote, oral and poster presentations, and provide an educational foundation and scientific reference for research on the tear film, ocular surface and dry eye syndromes.
We would like to acknowledge and extend a special thanks to those at The Schepens Eye Research Institute (an affiliate of the Harvard MedicaI School and located in Boston, Massachusetts: http://www.eri.harvard.edu/) and those at Allergan (Irvlne, CA, USA), two of the organizers of the conference, for their efforts to promote awareness of FD at the conference this year.
Allergan has produced an FD booklet and will network it to researchers. The Schepens Dry Eye Institute will also ensure that FD booklets are provided to those that attend, and has provided an FD information link, that can be viewed under "Corporate Sponsors and Ocular Research Information" on the Conference Site at: www.Maui-2000.com . Their interest, kindness and pledge to help is so deeply appreciated! Such dedicated efforts to help promote awareness and research will undoubtedly help with FD diagnosis among eye professionals, as well as future treatment to preserve precious vision for those with FD and others with dry eyes and dry eye complications.
Look for details of the conference results in the next issue of Dys/course.